With all
the confusion, misinformation and flawed perceptions about
CRM and BDCs amongst the dealership population is it any
wonder why so many CRM/BDC initiatives result in failure.
Most every dealer now realizes that in today's marketplace
in order to compete and be profitable they must get their
CRM/BDC act together. But how and most important how much
does it cost to execute and maintain a successful efficient
and flexible CRM/BDC.
What are the main ingredients in product/service supplier
equations? Last year I became interested in Scuba Diving and
decided to visit my local dive shop to get started. To my
naïve amazement I was overwhelmed at the requirements and
expense of becoming a fully certified sport diver. The fist
thing required of course is intense training in a classroom,
pool and then open water. Then I was told I would need a
lengthy list of equipment from A to Z. Everything from an
air tank, regulator, buoyancy vest, wet suit, gauges, knife
etc. Needless to say I whipped out my American Express Card
and said lets do it. My Dive Consultant (GOOD SALESPERSON)
saw dollar signs and proceeded to load me up. By the time I
was through I was better equipped than Jacques Cousteau.
Unfortunately I didn't foresee what actual diving I would
do. In one year I've only been down under three times and
only at a depth of 30 feet. In retrospect I only needed the
training, a mask, fins and snorkel to enjoy all the diving I
needed to do. Most of my high dollar investment is now
sitting in the closet collecting dust. Much to my dismay I
could have rented most everything I need and saved a bundle
and still enjoyed my undersea adventure.
What does all this have to do with you and your decision to
operate a winning CRM/BDC?
First of all what do you really need? What are the basics?
What staffing and training do you need? What suppliers and
vendors do you choose? The following list contains the
basics in order of priority.
1 Staffing
a Internet/BDC Manager
b Lead Follow Up and Appointment Staff
c Internal staff, outsource call center or a combination of
both.
2 CRM Software
a Standalone System
b DMS Module
c Value added bundled solution
3 Effective Credible Dealership Website
4 Incoming Call Tracking, Measurement and Monitoring
5 E-Mail Marketing
6 In-Store Training
Other than internal staffing, each vendor category mentioned
above will be necessary for your CRM/BDC to be fully
functional and hitting on all eight cylinders.
Even with all the pieces to the puzzle your perfectly built
CRM/BDC will surely fail if there is no buy in from your
Sales Manager, sales force and Service Department. Assuming
all is ok with buy-in and the system and processes are up to
modern standards and equipped with appropriate tools all
departments must be fully integrated and working seamlessly
with your CRM/BDC. All too often dealers are lead to believe
that one or two vendors can do everything. How much do you
purchase and what do you outsource? What are the managed
expectations?
Back to staffing the number one thing to remember is the
entire mission of CRM/BDC is designed to explode your
customer contact volume and increase front and back sales.
CRM Software just sits there and most CRM Software in
dealerships today is grossly underutilized. Again how can
you pump up the contact levels? Make all the phone calls,
attempts (7 minimum per record) and do so at a minimum of
expense. How much of your Marketing/Advertising Budget are
you willing to allocate for your CRM/BDC operation? Software
fees alone can run 3 to 10K per month on top of what you're
paying your DMS provider. Then comes staffing salaries and
wages. Do you want to buy the farm and farm workers or just
drink the milk and have a well prepared meal? These are very
important questions and can be carefully answered with a
well crafted CRM/BDC business plan that answers all
questions and provides a customized solution that fits your
dealership. So don't just walk-in and lay down with your
vendor salesperson and sign
your wallet away like I did at the dive shop. Figure out how
much you need in the 6 major categories and proceed to
implementation always verifying what choices will optimize
customer contact and lead capture.
Too many dealers load up on just software, Website, internal
staffing, etc. How much can you outsource especially on
staffing and training. Remember salary and wages are the
most expensive category. Do you keep the $20-$30 per hour
professionals and outsource the $8 wages? Do the math. You
can have it all but you don't have to own it all. Your most
respected vendors will tell you they can't do it all. The
worst ones will tell you their particular solution is the
all inclusive promise land. Don't believe it. Get organized,
learn the basics and develop a plan and then execute!
Robert W. Smith is the founder & CEO of The Listener Group
[email protected]
http://www.autolistener.com
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